Master of International Health > Intensive Courses > Non-Communicable Diseases
Online course:
Non-Communicable Diseases - Prevention and Control
- with special emphasis on international NCD programmes
"The lives of far too many people in the world are being blighted and cut short by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes. This is no longer only happening in the high-income countries. Four out of five chronic disease deaths today are in low and middle income countries. People in these countries tend to develop the disease at younger ages, suffer longer - often with preventable complications - and die sooner than those in high income countries."
Dr. Lee Jong-wook, Director General of the World Health Organization 2003 - 2006, died 61 years old from a blood clot in his brain.
"We cannot afford to say, ‘we must tackle other diseases first - HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis - then we will deal with chronic diseases'. If we wait even 10 years we will find that the problem is even larger and more expensive to address."
Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The University of Copenhagen is offering a part-time online learning course on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) to professionals working in or aiming at a career in the field. The course covers the main aspects of NCD prevention and control with special focus on global and national strategies. Upon completion of the course, participants will have strengthened their capacity to become better planners, managers, trainers and implementers of NCD programmes and integrated NCD care and prevention activities.
Application deadline is 18 March 2013 - APPLY ONLINE NOW!
Institution:
Copenhagen School of Global Health, University of Copenhagen
The course is an online course that can be followed from anywhere with a stable connection to the Internet.
Course coordinator:
Professor Maximilian de Courten
Type:
This is an optional advanced course in the Master of International Health programme.
Duration:
22 April - 21 June 2013
ECTS credits:
5 ECTS
Language:
English
Objectives:
By the end of the module, the student should be able to:
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Examine Non-communicable diseases (NCD), compare and contrast them with Chronic Diseases and Infectious Diseases
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Analyse the burden of NCD globally and at a national level in terms of the magnitude of the problem (economic burden, social burden and future impact)
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Assess the social, political, environmental, cultural and economic factors contributing to the burden of NCDs in low and middle-income countries
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Recognise major global, regional, national and local stakeholders in NCD management and prevention
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Appraise global strategies addressing NCD
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Examine the importance of cultural sensitivity when addressing NCDs
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Propose and evaluate concepts of NCD surveillance, evaluation and monitoring of NCD programs
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Revise and examine processes towards establishment of a National NCD Prevention and Control Program as part of an existing national response in a given country
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Through practical experience, contrast and evaluate the structure, aims and importance of NGOs, government agencies, intergovernmental bodies and the private sector
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Be able to effectively and confidently apply the theoretical knowledge gained through the course to developing NCD prevention and control strategies
Content:
The course will explore the evidence and the frameworks used to address the burden of non-communicable diseases through action on the conventional risk factors (lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure etc) but also more 'upstream factors' and the social determinants of health (e.g. urbanization, income, education, trade, health transitions).
This course aims also at providing participants with an in-depth theoretical and practical insight into how national NCD programmes can be developed, integrated and maintained in a local, national and global perspective.
Methods:
This is a part time online course. At the beginning of the course there will be an optional 2 days of lectures and introduction in Copenhagen. The rest of the course is online learning. The course is based on interdisciplinary teaching and problem-oriented learning. Students are expected to actively participate in the learning process and prepare by studying distributed and recommended reading materials. Students are encouraged to find and study additional literature themselves.
Group work will mainly be used in relation to specific case studies or projects. For each theme, we consider the current state of research, as well as policy and practice and critically examine the underlying issues and wider contex
Some information about online learning
The course is structured around internet based E-learning modules (E-modules) with weekly deadlines. This means that you as a student can follow the course from anywhere in the world at the time that suits you best. All you need is an internet connection. During the online weeks you will only meet and interact with your teachers and fellow students in the University of Copenhagen's online learning platform.
A typical E-module is composed of:
- An introduction to the topic
- An overview of the purpose, the subjects and the intended learning outcome
- A short study guide
- Learning resources (which can be text, audio and/or video files)
- Several exercises called E-lessons.
The E-lessons are online learning activities which can be questionnaires, assignments or online discussions. The roles of the teachers are to assist student learning by serving as E-moderators for the various E-lessons.
The online course room and teaching techniques is inspired by the successful model for distance learning, which has been developed by the IT learning Center (ITLC) at the University of Copenhagen. This model creates learning context which allows the students to collaborate and participate actively in discussions of different learning topics with both fellow students and the lecturers on the course.
Assessment Procedures:
Homework assignment.
Grading according to the Danish 7-scale - internal moderation.
TropEd accreditation:
Accredited 2013.
Prerequisites:
It is recommended that the applicants meet the Master of International Health admission criteria.
Class size:
The number of participants is limited to 40. The course may be cancelled if there are less than 12 participants.
Fees:
Reduced fee: DKK 10,200
- for students from EU/EEA, and students with a DIS, Fulbright or Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.
Normal fee: DKK 15,000
- for all other students.
For approximate exchange rates between DKK (Danish Krone) and other currencies please contact your bank or visit this website. All fees are subject to regulation.
Scholarships:
We do not offer any scholarships, nor can we assist in finding funding, but on our page about scholarships we have collected some information that might be useful.
